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Stellaluna - ESL •

AcknowledgementsStellalunaStellalunaStellalunaStellalunaStellaluna

ESL PackageESL PackageESL PackageESL PackageESL PackageWriterWriterWriterWriterWriterCarolyn Parks

Instructional DevelopmentInstructional DevelopmentInstructional DevelopmentInstructional DevelopmentInstructional DevelopmentAnn Hudson

Project DirectorProject DirectorProject DirectorProject DirectorProject DirectorNan Schweiger

Special Thanks to:Special Thanks to:Special Thanks to:Special Thanks to:Special Thanks to:Mary Jo CherryLynda DoehlingJanice MichelBarb MuchiskyTom HendersonDick SpenceJackie Thoelke

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INTRODUCTIONThe Reading RainbowReading RainbowReading RainbowReading RainbowReading Rainbow video library is an excel-

lent resource for teachers of English as a SecondLanguage. Designed for an audience of children,the programs feature stories that are richly illus-trated and written in language that is easy to readand understand. The narration and dialog are readaloud clearly and slowly with dramatic expression.The closed captions at the bottom of the screenshow the written equivalent of the words being spo-ken. ESL students in particular benefit from themultiple paths to comprehension provided by thisaudio-visual-print format.The multicultural themes, settings and characters

of the Reading RainbowReading RainbowReading RainbowReading RainbowReading Rainbow programs appeal to theESL students. Seeing themselves and aspects oftheir own native cultures in the programs enhancesmotivation and provides a meaningful context forlearning.

BASIC ASSUMPTIONS AND GOALSLearning to understand, speak, read and write

English well requires frequent, intensive exposure togood language models. The experience of listeningto and reading stories, combined with guided prac-tice in using the vocabulary and structures of thetext, can enhance second language acquisition.The programs in this series have been carefully

selected from the Reading RainbowReading RainbowReading RainbowReading RainbowReading Rainbow library accord-ing to their appropriateness for ESL instruction.The goal of the lessons is to:

1. help students understand the content of thestory.

2. teach and reinforce the vocabulary andgrammar structures of the language in thestory.

3. engage students personally and actively inmeaningful practice of the material.

4. provide opportunities for students to use thelanguage of the program in real-life situa-tions.

Learning English with Reading RainbowLearning English with Reading RainbowLearning English with Reading RainbowLearning English with Reading RainbowLearning English with Reading RainbowA Guide for TA Guide for TA Guide for TA Guide for TA Guide for Teachers of ESLeachers of ESLeachers of ESLeachers of ESLeachers of ESL

PURPOSEThe purpose of this guide is to assist ESL teach-

ers in using selected Reading RainbowReading RainbowReading RainbowReading RainbowReading Rainbow programs fordirect language and reading instruction. The les-sons are intended for ESL learners in grades 2-6from high-beginning to intermediate levels of ability.The activities are designed to give students prac-

tice in reading and writing as well as listening,speaking, vocabulary building, and grammar. Stu-dents are challenged to watch, listen and read witha purpose. They are directed to respond to the textwith a task to perform, such as: repeat, read aloud,predict, answer questions, paraphrase, build sen-tences, take notes, fill in blanks, complete a chart,categorize, list, circle, draw, color, match, drama-tize, etc. The activities require active participationand concentration before, during and after the read-ing/viewing experience.Throughout the process, the ESL student’s past

experience in another language and culture is rec-ognized and valued as an asset to academicsuccess in an English speaking environment.

CONTENTEach guide contains a summary of the feature

story, a brief description of the episodes on thevideo and suggested language learning activities inthe following areas:1. Comprehension2. Vocabulary3. Grammar4. Pronunciation/Phonics5. Writing6. Dramatization7. Art

A wide variety of activities for students of differ-ent ages and language abilities are included.Teachers are encouraged to select and adapt themaccording to the needs of their student population.

A short bibliography at the end of each lessonincludes the books reviewed in the program as wellas other related materials that would be appropriateselections for beginning ESL readers.



CLOSED CAPTIONING

All of the Reading RainbowReading RainbowReading RainbowReading RainbowReading Rainbow programs are closedcaptioned. This feature offers teachers a rich re-source of alternative print material and new optionsfor instruction.A printed text of the entire program appears line

by line at the bottom of the TV screen. These 1/2inch language subtitles (captions) are synchronizedwith the narration and dialog of the video. Thepace of the captions is slow, about 100 words perminute, making it possible for young readers tofollow along as they watch. Captions may beturned on or off depending on the type of activityteachers may wish to conduct.All TV sets manufactured for sale in the U.S.

since 1993 have the built-in capacity to displaycaptions. The caption option is on the menu andcan be turned on or off. Older sets will need aseparate caption decoder (at a cost of about $100)to make the captions visible on the screen.

With captions displayed, the TV screen can beused much like a Big Book for individual or choralreadings with the sound on or off. On a 19-inchmonitor, pictures and text are large enough for thewhole class to see and enjoy together.The captions can be transcribed directly to a

computer using TeleScriber software and a special-ized caption decoder. The caption text can bealtered (enlarged, key words deleted, etc.) with theword processor and printed out for students to useas classwork or homework.

SUGGESTIONS

Adhering to the following principles will help stu-dents with limited English ability achieve theobjectives of the lesson without becoming over-whelmed.

1. Present small segments. Thirty seconds to twominutes of carefully chosen video text can providea great deal of material for language study andpractice.

2. Repeat the same segment several times. Pro-vide variety with different types of tasks to performwith the same segment. Children rarely tire ofwatching something they enjoy. They learn fromthe repetition, they absorb more and can imitatebetter each time.

3. Keep tasks small and manageable. Focus on alimited number of new words and phrases at a time.Gradually build up student knowledge of the lan-guage presented. Require more command of thelanguage as they become more familiar with thetext.

4. Prepare students for what they are about to seeand hear. Take time to do pre-listening, pre-view-ing and pre-reading activities.

5. Connect the material to the students’ own experi-ence. Draw on knowledge of their native languageand culture whenever possible.

BIBLIOGRAPHYVIDEO IN SECOND LANGUAGE TEACHING:USING, SELECTING, AND PRODUCING VIDEO

FOR THE CLASSROOM, ed. Susan Stempleski andPaul Arcario. TESOL, INC., 1990.The chapter by Barry Tomalin, “Teaching YoungChildren with Video” is useful for teachers of ESL in

the elementary grades.

WHOLE LANGUAGE FOR SECOND LANGUAGELEARNERS, Yvonne and David Freeman.Heinemann, Portsmouth, 1992.

THE ART OF TEACHING WRITING, Lucy Calkins.Heinemann, Portsmouth, 1986.



TTTTTable of Contentsable of Contentsable of Contentsable of Contentsable of Contents1•Summary ............................................................................................................................... 7

The Feature BookThe Video Production

2•Introductory Activities .......................................................................................................... 8Watching The Video IntroductionMaking a KWL ChartMaking Text-Life ConnectionsTalking About the Book CoverPredicting Vocabulary

3•Comprehension ............................................................................................................... 9-10Comprehension Questions - Feature BookA Visit To A Bat CaveComprehension Questions - Video SegmentCloze - A Visit To A Bat CaveStory MapPicture Description

4•Vocabulary Study................................................................................................................ 11Alphabetical ListingAntonymsWordsearch

5•Grammar ............................................................................................................................. 12Verbs - Present and PastContractionsExpressions of Necessity - Must/Must Not + Verb

6•Pronunciation and Phonics .......................................................................................... 13-14Short Vowel A Sound The “At” Family & Making a T-ScopeLong Vowel I Sound Spelled “IGH”Spelling/Listening Dictation “IGH” WordsEnding Sounds: D, T, G Same and Different

7•Writing ............................................................................................................................ 15-16Writing a Letter & Addressing an EnvelopeWriting About DreamsWriting About Friends - Differences and Similarities

8•Speaking Practice .............................................................................................................. 16Narrating the Video Action - Bedtime Routines

Appendix ................................................................................................................................. 17

Bibliography............................................................................................................................ 79



1•Summary1•Summary1•Summary1•Summary1•Summary

THE FEATURE STORYIn STELLALUNA by Janell Cannon, a baby fruit

bat is separated from her mother and falls into anest of baby birds. Afraid and lonely, she strugglesto adapt to the birds’ way of life, but finds it hard tobehave in ways that are contrary to her naturalinstincts. She tries to eat their food, sleep in a nestand fly in the daytime, but feels clumsy, out ofplace and hungry for her own kind of food. Whenfinally reunited with her mother, Stellaluna is veryhappy to learn that she is a bat, not a bird, that sheis supposed to eat fruit, sleep hanging by her feetand fly at night. She takes her bird friends to meether bat family and learn about their different way oflife. When the birds try flying in the dark with thebats, Stellaluna saves them from almost crashinginto a tree. She and the birds talk together abouttheir similarities and differences, concluding thateven though many of their abilities, habits, andfeelings are different, they are still very much alike.They all agree that “...this is quite a mystery... butwe’re friends. And that’s a fact.”

This charming story with its beautiful full-pageillustrations will delight students of all ages. Thetheme of recognizing and adapting to differences isone that ESL students in particular will relate to andunderstand.

The original story is carefully edited for the video,leaving out some of the more difficult vocabularyitems and making the text shorter and easier toread.* Sentence structures are basic and direct.Narration is in the third person past tense. Lines ofdialog between bats and birds contain examples ofcommon colloquial speech patterns, and variousforms of punctuation.

A short reading at the end of the book containsinteresting facts about bats. It is however moresuitable for advanced readers. See the bibliography(page 79) for easy to read non-fiction materials onbats.

*The edited text is provided on pages 75-78.

THE VIDEO PRODUCTIONBefore and after the reading of the feature story,

interesting background information about bats isprovided. The first segment is a close-up look at afruit bat, its method of flight, feeding habits and rolein the pollination of fruit trees. The second is a tourof a Texas bat cave, guided by a bat conservationistwho dispels some of the myths surrounding thismysterious animal. Texts for both of thesesegments are provided in this guide with activitiesfor reading and language study. See pages 21-25.

Reviews of books about bats and other night“creatures” are followed by comments on theimportance of sleep. Children talk about theirdifferent bedtime routines in brief responses to thequestion, “What do you do before you go to sleep?”At the end of the program LeVar visits a sleepresearch lab in N.Y. University, where a little girl’sbrain activity is monitored electronically throughoutthe various stages of sleep.



MAKING TEXT-LIFE CONNECTIONSBegin by asking a few personalized questions

about bats. For example:•Have you ever seen a bat?•When do you see them?•How do you feel about them?•Are you afraid of them?

Continue with a few more questions about livingin a new home. This is a story about a baby batthat gets lost from its mother.

•Have you ever been lost?•Have you ever had to leave your mother and go to live with someone else?•How did/would that feel?

This bat is lost in a place where everything isdifferent from her home and family. Ask students:Have you ever been to a new place to live whereeverything was different? Allow time for students toshare their experiences with the class.

2•Introductory Activities2•Introductory Activities2•Introductory Activities2•Introductory Activities2•Introductory Activities

WATCHING THE VIDEO INTRODUCTIONMAKING A KWL CHART

At the beginning of the video program LeVarintroduces his audience to the nighttime world ofbats. Before playing this segment, ask students toshare what they already know and would like toknow about bats. Make a list of their responsesusing a three-column K-W-LK-W-LK-W-LK-W-LK-W-L chart.

K K K K K - What I KKKKKnow About BatsW W W W W - What I WWWWWould Like to KnowLLLLL - What I L L L L LearnedComplete the third column after students have

watched and studied the feature story and theaccompanying video segments.

BAT FACTS BAT FACTS BAT FACTS BAT FACTS BAT FACTS

K W L

I KNOW I WOULD LIKE I LEARNED TO KNOW

The text of LeVar’s introduction is provided onpage 21.

The basic vocabulary and factual informationpresented here establish a context for understandingthe setting and important events of the feature story.Watching this brief introduction will help focusstudents’ attention and heighten their anticipation forthe story that is to come.

TALKING ABOUT THE BOOK COVER

Show the picture on the book cover to the class(or pause the VCR to freeze that frame) andexamine it together. Here are some questions to geta discussion started:

•What do you see in the picture?•Where is it?•What is it doing?•Why?•Is it day or night?

Does anyone know what the title means?(stella - star; luna - moon; much like Spanish:

estrella and luna)Help students with any key vocabulary words

they need as they try to answer the questions.

PREDICTING VOCABULARY

As a group activity, ask students to help youmake a list of words they think they might hear inthe story. Record their guesses on chart paper or atransparency. After reading/viewing the story, havestudents check the list to find how many of thewords they predicted were actually used by theauthor.



1. What is the baby bat’s name?

2. What kind of animal attacks the mother bat?

3. Where does Stellaluna land?

4. How many birds live in the nest?

5. What kind of food does the mother bird give to Stellaluna?

6. What does Stellaluna promise to do?

7. Where is Stellaluna when her mother finds her?

8. What does the mother bat show Stellaluna?

9. Why do the birds almost crash into a tree?

10. Are the birds and Stellaluna friends? Why?

1. What is a cave?

2. What kind of animal lives in the cave?

3. Where is the cave?

4. What is a bat?

5. Are bats birds or mammals?

6. Is the cave cold or hot?

7. What are the bats doing in the cave?

8. Is it daytime or nighttime?

9. When do bats fly?

10. Do bats have fur?

11. How do bats sleep?

12. When do bats sleep?

13. Are bats dangerous?

14. Why is it important to learn about bats?

Facts about bats...Listen to the second text on the video program to find out more factsabout bats. Fill in the blanks with the number you hear. Check youranswers by playing the tape again.

LeVar Burton Wow! There are over _______________ different kinds of bats andthey don’t all live in trees. Some prefer attics, old buildings, or thedarkness of caves.

Narrator: Dr. Merlin Tuttle Bats are creatures of the night and every evening between dusk and dawnthese bats wing their way across _______________ of miles looking forfood. Tonight this cloud of bats will consume _______________ pounds ofinsects. That’s the equivalent weight of _______________ elephants!Long before man walked this earth, bats filled the night skies. Peopleused to think bats were birds. But they’re not. Bats are mammals like youand me. I’m Dr. Merlin Tuttle and I’ve been studying bats for _______________years. We’re about to enter Bracken Cave in Texas where more than_______________ bats live in a world of darkness. Well, here we are. We’re down deep inside the cave. This is like a bigtunnel as long as a football stadium. The ceiling of this cave is over_______________ stories high and everywhere around me everything iscovered by _______________ and _______________ of bats. This is a very unique environment because the droppings from all thosebats turn into ammonia and that’s why I’ve got this respirator on. I woulddie down here without protection from the ammonia fumes. But the batsare amazing animals. They live without any problem down here despite allthe ammonia. Let’s go on down and have a look deeper in the cave. Because so manybats live in here and their bodies are all giving off heat, it’s extremely hot,sometimes more than _______________ degrees. Most bats, like thefree-tailed bats in this cave, eat insects. Let’s take a look at some bats close up. Here’s a mother bat. She has furjust like dogs and cats and other animals. It’s very soft and velvety. Batsare the only kind of mammal that flies. She has long narrow wings thatenable her to fly very fast at night. Her wings are just like a hand. Thisis her thumb. It has a little claw to help her climb around. And then she

Hi. I just love nighttime -- so peaceful, calm. There’ssomething magical tht happens when the last streaks of sunlightfade, the stars begin to glitter and the moon, all silvery andbeautiful, rises high in the sky.When darkness falls, there’s a famous night animal that spreadsits wings and flies out to feed. It’s called the flying fox. But itisn’t a fox at all. In fact, it’s a bat.Like most bats, flying foxes hang upside down, sleep during theday and wake at night, hungry as can be. And while many batslook for insects to eat, flying foxes, sometimes called fruitbats, prefer fruit. They think there’s nothing quite like a ripe figto really sing their teeth into. Sometimes they like to pluckone off to eat on the ride home.Besides eating fruit, flying foxes poke into flowers to licknectar. They get all covered with pollen. They carry the pollento the next flower they visit and that’s how they help the plantsreproduce. The more they eat, the more they help flowers andplants grow.

Answer questions in complete sentences:

1. What is a flying fox?

2. When does it look for food?

3. What does it like to eat?

4. Does it help flowers grow? How?

5. When does it sleep?

3•Comprehension3•Comprehension3•Comprehension3•Comprehension3•Comprehension

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONSTHE FEATURE BOOK

The comprehension questions for the featurebook are on reproducible page 19. Check for abasic understanding of the events in STELLALUNA.Students may need to watch/read the story morethan once before they are ready to answer them all.The edited book text is on pages 77-79.

There are many ways of working withcomprehension questions:• Students ask and answer questions orally or in writing.• The teacher writes the answers on the board or overhead transparency as students answer.• Pairs of students take turns asking each other the questions.• Students use their books to find the sentence which answers the question.• The teacher replays the tape to help students find answers.• Students check the on-screen captions for spelling or vocabulary help.

A VISIT TO A BAT CAVEComprehension questions for the bat cave text

(page 25) are on reproducible page 27.

Other options: Students can also use the text(page 25) to make a list of bat facts for the KWLchart on page 8; to find and make a list ofcontractions; to make a picture dictionary of newwords, etc.

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONSTHE VIDEO SEGMENT

The text on LeVar’s introduction about fruit batsis printed on page 21. Comprehension questionsfollow the text with space provided for students towrite responses and add questions of their own.

CLOZEA VISIT TO A BAT CAVE

This segment, narrated by Dr. Merlin Tuttle,presents more fascinating facts and figures aboutbats. A partial text is provided on reproducible page23. All the numbers have been deleted.

Have students listen to this segment and fill in themissing numbers. They may check their answerswith the completed text on page 25, or with thecaptions on the video.



Story Map

TITLE: _____________________________________AUTHOR: __________________________________SETTING: __________________________________CHARACTERS:______________ ______________

_____________ _____________

_____________ _____________

PROBLEM:

EVENT 1 ___________________________________EVENT 2 ___________________________________EVENT 3 ___________________________________EVENT 4 ___________________________________EVENT 5 ___________________________________

SOLUTION:

MORAL (LESSON): _________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sentence Strips

Three baby birds are in a nest. Stellaluna is in thenest, too, but you can only see her feet. She fell intothe nest headfirst. The birds’ names are Pip, Flap andFlitter.

An owl is trying to catch the bats. The baby bat isfalling. She cannot fly yet. She is too little.

Mama Bird is in the nest. She is looking for herbabies. They are not in the nest. They are hangingupside-down on the edge of her nest. They are tryingto sleep like bats do. Mama Bird says, “Get back intothis nest! You will fall! You have not learned to fly.”

Stellaluna is caught on the branches of a big tree. Sheis hanging on a twig. She is cold and afraid. She issqueaking, “Mother, where are you?”

It is nighttime. It is dark. There are stars in the sky.Mother Bat is carrying her baby. She is flying out tolook for food.

STORY MAP

Use the frame on page 29 to check forcomprehension, to practice asking and answeringquestions, and to prepare students for writing asummary of the story. Duplicate the frame on atransparency and ask students to provide, orally atfirst, the answers to your questions:

•What is the title? •Who is the author? •What is the setting? •Who are the characters? •What is the problem? •What happens first, next? etc. •What is the solution to the problem?

Write the answers they give. On their own copiesof the frame have students write the answers usingcomplete sentences.

PICTURE DESCRIPTION

The sentences on pages 31-37 describe thepictures in the feature book. As oral rehearsal forthis activity, show a few illustrations to the class andask students to tell you what they see, using thepresent tense. For example:

•The mother bird is looking for her babies.•Many bats are hanging on a branch.•The baby bat is falling.

Distribute copies of the book. Ask students tochoose their favorite pictures and describe them totheir partners who listen and try to find the picture.

Cut and distribute the sentence strips on pages31-37. Students are to read their sentences, find thematching pictures in the book, and write the pagenumbers on the strips.

Replay the story on tape. Pause the tape oneach new picture. Ask: “Who has the sentence thatgoes with this picture?” After each student reads asentence to the class, move on to the next picture.

Finally, on a long sheet of colored paper, havestudents arrange and glue their sentence strips in thecorrect order and read them again.

The page numbers that were written on the stripsearlier will help make this activity easy and fun.



4•V4•V4•V4•V4•Vocabulary Studyocabulary Studyocabulary Studyocabulary Studyocabulary Study

ALPHABETICAL LISTINGThe list of vocabulary words on pages 39-41 is

compiled from the edited version of the featurestory, as it is presented on the video. The additionalwords listed on page 43 are used in the originalstory as it appears in the book.

The abbreviations, D, O, A, D, O, A, D, O, A, D, O, A, D, O, A, and S S S S S after somewords, indicate that they could be used in activitiesthat involve D D D D Drawing, finding OOOOOpposites, AAAAActing outmeaning or finding SSSSSynonyms. Words can also beselected from this list for activites the teacher wouldlike to target such as parts of speech, phoneticsimilarities, etc.

aaboutabove(O)ached(S) (A)afraid(S) (A)againagree(O)ahead(O)alike(O) (S)allamandanotheranxious(S) (A)arearound(A)asasleep(O) (A)atate(A)awake(O) (A) (D)

baby(D) (A)backbat(D)bebearbehavedbelow(S) (O)big(O)bird(D)bluebranch(D) (S)breastbroughtbug(D)butby

came(O)

can(O)carrycaughtchildchildrenchirped(A)climbed(A) (D)clumsy(O)clutched(A) (S)cold(O) (A)come(O) (A)comingconfused(A)couldcrash(A) (S)crawlycried(A)curious

dark(O)day(O)daybreak(O)decideddeep(O)didn’tdifferent(O)dodown(O) (A)dropped(O) (A)each(S)eat(A) (D)edgeeekeightembarrassingeyes(D)

fact(S) (O)family(D)far(O)fearfeelfeetfellfelt

finallyfind(O)flewfly(A)foodforforest(D)friendsfromfruit(D)

gasped(A)gathered(A)getgrabbed(A) (S)graceful(O)grasshopper(D)greengripping(A) (S)

hanging(A) (D)have tohear(A)herhereherselfheyhold on(O) (S)homehouse(D)howhowled(A)hunghungry(A)

Iin(O)instant(S)intoit

just

knocking(A)

landlandedlean(A)leapt(A) (S)learnedlet go(O)lifted(A) (O)light(O)likelikedlimb(D) (S)little(O) (S)livedlook(S) (A)loud(O)

mama(S)many(O) (S)

maybe(S)memeetmothermouth(D)much(S)mused(S)must(S)mystery

near(O)nest(D)never(O)new(O)nextnight(O) (D)nightfall(O)no longerno one(O)notnowhere(O)

obeyon(O)onceoneopened(O) (A)out of sight(S)owl(D)

Stellaluna Vocabulary

Antonyms are words that have opposite meanings. Example: old and new,big and little. Draw a line matching the words that are antonyms.

night down

upside down far

right day

different right side up

light dark

sleep same (alike)

warm cool

drop wake up

up loud

soft clutch

near wrong

ANTONYMS

The vocabulary items listed in the left column ofreproducible page 45 were used in STELLALUNA.Those in the right column are antonyms. Beforeasking students to match words with oppositemeanings, give them a few examples. Then letthem try to remember how or where the words wereused in the story. After all items are matched withtheir antonyms, have students find the words in thestory and/or write their own sentences.

To extend this activity, use the vocabulary list onpages 39-41, and find more words that have easyantonyms. They are marked with (O) for Opposites.More advanced students can make up their ownmatching game.

WORDSEARCHThe word puzzle on page 47 contains ten basic

vocabulary items from the feature story.Students search horizontally and vertically to find

the words in the box below the puzzle, circling orhighlighting them with markers or crayons. Afterthe search is finished, students create sentences,using the words they found. Alphabetizing the wordsin the box is an additional option.

Answers: Vertical: baby, bird, forest, wing;Horizontal: bat, night, friends, branch, hang, fruit.

F R U I T P F W B QU E H H R H O I I OK H L O M P R N R KB D G A Z C E G D JA Q J O J O S M E PB B A T E O T H W VY V X P O E R R G CF R I E N D S V E LJ V B R A N C H D GH A N G N I G H T E

Word Box

bat night hang bird wing baby friends branch forest fruit



CONTRACTIONSThe contractions on page 51 have been selected

from the feature story to illustrate the process ofcombining a pair of words with an apostrophe.After providing a few examples, have students fill inthe blanks following the directions given. In Part II,begin by asking students to locate and circle thecontraction in the sentence, before separating it intotwo words.

Answers:Part I: he’s; I’ve; aren’t; isn’t; she’s.Part II: can not; we are; I am; I will; You are; That is; it is.

5•Grammer5•Grammer5•Grammer5•Grammer5•Grammer

VERBS - PRESENT & PAST

Introduce this activity by explaining briefly thatstories can be told in the present or past tense. Ask/tell students which tense Janell Cannon chose inwriting STELLALUNA. Review some of the thingsthat happened in the story. Write some of the verbson chart paper or the board (fell, ate, found, etc.).Explain the meaning of past action and some of theways that present and past tense verb forms changein spelling. The reproducible on page 49 can beused to practice using some common irregular verbsin both present and past tense forms. The directions(complete the sentences with the correct form of theverb in parentheses) are phrased in general terms toallow you to specify whether students should writethe present or past tense of the verb. Students mayneed to re-read the edited text of the story on pages77-79 before attempting this activity.

EXPRESSIONS OF NECESSITYMUST/MUST NOT + VERB

The mother bird in STELLALUNA uses thecommon English idioms, must and must not, toexplain the rules that her babies must follow. Togive students practice with this verb structure, askthem to talk and write about the bird family rules.Extend the topic to include rules that students mustfollow in school and at home. Use the reproducibleon page 53 to write some of the rules that have beendiscussed.

Option: Substitute “have to” or “supposed to” inthe place of “must” to demonstrate other ways ofexpressing the idea of necessity or obligation.

Mama Bird says to Stellaluna, “You must promise to obey the rules of thishouse.” What are some of the rules of the bird family? Use the words“must” and “must not” to finish this list. Write your answers in completesentences.

1. You must stay in the nest.2. You must not hang by your feet from the edge of the nest.3.4.

What are some of the rules of your house? Make a list. Share your list withthe class.

1.2.3.4.

What are some of the rules of your school? Make a list. Share your listwith the class.

1.2.3.4.

Part I. Make contractions with the pair of words below. Use an apostrophe toshow that some letters are missing.

1. he is _______________ 2. I have _______________

3. are not _______________ 4. is not _______________

5. she is _______________

Part II. Circle the contractions in the sentences. Write the two words thatmake up the contraction.

1. The birds can’t see at night. The birds ________ ________ see at night.

2. We’re going to crash! ________ ________ going to crash!

3. “I’m just like them,” thought Stellaluna. “________ ________ just like them.”

4. I’ll show you where to find fruit. ________ ________ show you where to find fruit.

5. “You’re safe,” she said. “________ ________ safe,” she said.

6. That’s a fact. ________ ________ a fact.

7. But it’s nighttime! But ________ ________ nighttime!



6•Pronunciation and6•Pronunciation and6•Pronunciation and6•Pronunciation and6•Pronunciation and Phonics Phonics Phonics Phonics Phonics

SHORT VOWEL A SOUNDTHE “AT” FAMILY

Beginning readers will enjoy making the “T-scope” on page 55 as they learn to blend words inthe “at” family. Duplicate the pattern, usingconstruction paper if possible. Then have studentsfollow these directions.

1. Cut out the word strip.2. Cut along the dotted lines to open the slits.3. Weave the strip into the slits (starting from the

back side of the page) so that a letter appears in front of the “at”.

4. Pull the strip up and down to read new words.

Older students may want to try creating their ownT-scopes using other word families, such as the“igh” combination targeted in the next two activities.The drawing should illustrate one of the wordsincluded in the list.

sssssfffffccccchhhhhbbbbbmmmmmrrrrr

atatatatat

LONG VOWEL I SOUNDSPELLED “IGH”

The words in the box on reproducible page 57 allcontain the “long i” sound, spelled “igh”, as in highand flight. After repetition practice with thesewords, have students follow the directions given,circling the three-letter combination, reading thesentences and underlining the words.

SPELLING/LISTENING DICTATION “IGH” WORDS

Listen to the video segment after the featurestory when LeVar is talking about sleep. A partialtext of this passage is on reproducible page 59. Askstudents to write the missing words which all containthe igh combination. They can check spelling withthe video captions.

Answers: right, night, night, light

Listen and repeat as your teacher says the words in the word box:

Word Box

night light right flight fight delighted frighten tight bright might sight high sigh

Now go back to the word box and circle the “igh” in each word.

Next, read these sentences. Underline the words with “igh”.

1. Stellaluna hung out of sight below the birds’ nest. The birds could not see her hanging there.

2. Every night the Mother Bat went out to look for food. Bats fly at night.

3. Stellaluna sighed. She took a deep breath. She was sad and tired.

4. Bats fly high in the sky.

5. It might rain tonight. Maybe it will rain tonight.

6. Turn on the light, so I can see. Birds fly in the daytime when there is light.

7. The sun gives bright light.

8. These shoes are too small for me. They are tight on my feet.

9. Dr. Tuttle says that bats are “masters of night flight.” They fly very well at night.

10. What a beautiful sight! I see something beautiful.

11. Stellaluna’s mother was delighted to find her baby. She was very happy.

12. Frightened means scared or afraid. The baby bat was frightened when the owl attacked her mother.

13. Put your right hand on your heart when you say the pledge of allegiance to the flag.

Listen to LeVar Burton talk about sleep. Fill in the blanks with thewords that he says:

One thing everyone on earth does is sleep. Our bodies need torest and weget rest by sleeping. First we find just the _______________position. Eachof us has our own favorite. But we don’t stay there all_______________.We move around even though we’re not aware of it. Some of us arequiet sleepers. Others are noisy. (snoring) A couple of times a_______________ the TV in our heads clicks on and we start todream. Sometimes we like what we dream and sometimes we don’t.We know when to wake up because our bodies are like clocks and inthe morning when the _______________ streams in, we’ve hadenough sleep. We’re ready to start the day.



ENDING SOUNDS: D, T, GSAME AND DIFFERENT

Using the reproducible on page 61, havestudents:

• name the pictures.• tell if the word ends in d, t, or g.• cross out the one that has a different ending sound• write the word under the picture.• color the pictures that have the same ending sound.• cut and paste the word under the picture.

Answers: Top: bird, friend, food, bed, batBottom: fruit, cat, feet, rat, bug

Using the word boxes, fill in the blanks under each picutre. Circle the pictures that have thesame ending sound. Put and “X” on the one that has a different ending sound. Write the wordunder the picture.

Word Box food friend bat bed bird

__________ __________ __________ __________ __________

Word Box

feet bug fruit car rat

__________ __________ __________ __________ __________



7•W7•W7•W7•W7•Writingritingritingritingriting After this pre-writing activity, ask students towrite the dream stories they have told. Guide themthrough the steps in the writing process (drafting,sharing, peer response, revising, editing, etc.)

Beginning writers could simply copy the sentencestarter in the center of the diagram and finish it witha few words of their own to describe a dream.

I had a dream about....a big bear.Encourage those who are ready to add more

detail. Provide additional sentences to complete,such as:

I was ______________ing.It was ______________ing.I lost my ____________.I saw a _____________.I forgot to ___________.I went to ___________.I found a ___________.I was a ___________.

Allow time for drawing and coloring illustrationsto accompanying their stories.

Reproducible stationery sheets for final drafts areon pages 69 and 71.

Do you want to know more about bats? Do you have questions? Youcan write to Dr. Merlin Tuttle at his office in Texas.

Use this letter form to help you get started:

(your address) ________________________ _______________________(today’s date) ________________________

Dr. Merlin TuttleBat Conservation InternationalP.O. Box 162603Austin, Texas 78716

Dear Mr. Tuttle:

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Sincerely,

_______________________ (your name)

• Put your finished letter in an envelope.• Write your name and address in the upper (top) left-hand corner.• Write Dr. Tuttle’s name and address in the middle of the envelope.• Don’t forget to put a stamp in the upper (top) right-hand corner.• Take your letter to the post office or put it in any mailbox you seeon the street.

Your envelope should look like this:

Your name Stamp Your address

Dr. Merlin TuttleBat Conservation InternationalP.O. Box 162603Austin, TX 78716

©1997 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in aretrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.

Repro #???STELLALUNA stationery, lined

©1997 GPN/University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All rights reserved.Teachers who have purchased this READING RAINBOW Curriculum Package are granted permission to reproduce from this book pages for their own classroom use(notice or copyright and source must appear on all copies of pages). In all cases, no part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in aretrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without prior written permission of GPN.

Repro #??STELLALUNA stationery, unlined

WRITING A LETTERStudents who want to know more about bats can

write to Dr. Merlin Tuttle, the bat conservationistwho guided the video tour of the bat cave. Abusiness letter form is provided on reproduciblepage 63. A model envelope is printed on page 65with Dr. Tuttle’s address for students to copy. Havestudents follow the directions given for addressingthe envelope and mailing the letter.

Reproducible stationery pages for final drafts areon pages 69 and 71.

WRITING ABOUT DREAMSAfter watching the video segment about dreams,

ask students to tell about some of their dreams.These questions may help get the discussionstarted:

•When you go to sleep, do you have dreams?•What do you dream about?•Do you remember your dreams?•Do you have good dreams?•Do you have bad dreams (nightmares)?•Have you ever had a nightmare?•Tell about a dream you remember.•Was it scary/sad/happy?

As students tell about their dreams, make adiagram, like the one on page 67, with one “cloud”for each student’s name and story topic. Thecompleted diagram could form the table of contentsfor a class book entitled “Dream Stories.”



WRITING ABOUT FRIENDSDIFFERENCES AND SIMILARITIES

Assign parts and have students read the dialog atthe end of the story.

“How can we be so different and feel so much alike?” mused Flitter.

“And how can we feel so different and be somuch alike?” wondered Pip.

“I think this is quite a mystery,” Flap chirped.“I agree,” said Stellaluna, “But we’re friends. Andthat’s a fact.”

Read the same passage to the class as adictation. Ask students to listen and write what theyhear, filling in the blanks on page 73. Checkspelling with the book or the captions on the tape.Invite students to respond to the text, first orally andthen in writing, using the questions in the prompt atthe bottom of the page.

Listen to your teacher read from the last page of Stellaluna (orlisten to the end of the video reading of the story). Write whatyou hear:

“____________ ____________ ________________________ ____________

_________________ ____________ ________________________ ____________

____________ ____________?” mused Flitter.

“_________ ____________ ____________ __________________ _______

_____________________ ________ __________ _____________________

__________________?” wondered Pip.

“___________ ___________________ _____________________ ______________ _______

___________________,” Flap chirped.

“_________ _________________,” said Stellaluna.“____________ _______________

_______________________. ________________________________ ______ __________.”

Check your work with the last page in the book or the captions onthe tape. Did you spell all the words correctly?

Stellaluna and the birds are friends. They are different in manyways. They are the same in many ways.

8•Speaking Practice8•Speaking Practice8•Speaking Practice8•Speaking Practice8•Speaking Practice

NARRATING THE VIDEO ACTIONBEDTIME ROUTINES

This activity is based on the video segment inwhich LeVar is getting ready for bed and talkingabout his nighttime routine. The text and questionsare provided on page 75. Before watching thesegment, read the questions to the students and tellthem to watch so they can find out what LeVar doesbefore he goes to bed every night. After viewing,ask for their answers, paying attention to the orderof the various actions. Play the video segmentagain, this time without the sound. As the videoruns, have the students take turns narrating theaction, using the present progressive tense.Example: LeVar is pouring a glass of water, etc.

Distribute the text and questions found on page75. Have students read the passage and answer thequestions in complete sentences.

LeVar asks several children to tell what they do toget ready for bed. Play this portion of the video, andask students to remember and restate what thechildren have said. Space is provided at the bottomof the worksheet for writing the children’s responses.

The final question, “What do you do to get readyfor bed?” is to be answered with a partner andfollowed with writing and/or illustrating.

RESPONSES FROM THE CHILDREN ON THEVIDEO:fix my pillow, close the window, say good night tomy mom, say my prayers, close the curtains, talkwith my mom, turn the pillow over on the cool side,put my stuffed animals in bed with me, kiss myanimals good night, etc.

LeVar says:“Well, nighttime may be the right time for bats to start their day, butnot me. I’m tired. Now, before I go to bed there are certain things Ilike to do:

I wash my face.I brush my teeth.I pour myself a glass of water.I turn down the covers and fluff the pillow.

And I don’t seem to get the best night’s sleep unless I do them in theexact same order every night.”

Questions:1. What does LeVar do first when he is getting ready for bed?

2. What does he do next?



Watch and listen to the children who tell what they do to get readyfor bed. What are some of the things that they do?

1.

2.

3.

How about you? What do you do to get ready for bed? Tell yourpartner.



Appendix

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1. What is the baby bat’s name?

2. What kind of animal attacks the mother bat?

3. Where does Stellaluna land?

4. How many birds live in the nest?

5. What kind of food does the mother bird give to Stellaluna?

6. What does Stellaluna promise to do?

7. Where is Stellaluna when her mother finds her?

8. What does the mother bat show Stellaluna?

9. Why do the birds almost crash into a tree?

10. Are the birds and Stellaluna friends? Why?



Hi. I just love nighttime -- so peaceful, calm. There’s something magicalthat happens when the last streaks of sunlight fade, the stars begin to glitterand the moon, all silvery and beautiful, rises high in the sky.When darkness falls, there’s a famous night animal that spreads its wings

and flies out to feed. It’s called the flying fox. But it isn’t a fox at all. In fact,it’s a bat.Like most bats, flying foxes hang upside down, sleep during the day and

wake at night, hungry as can be. And while many bats look for insects to eat,flying foxes, sometimes called fruit bats, prefer fruit. They think there’snothing quite like a ripe fig to really sink their teeth into. Sometimes they liketo pluck one off to eat on the ride home.Besides eating fruit, flying foxes poke into flowers to lick nectar. They get

all covered with pollen. They carry the pollen to the next flower they visit andthat’s how they help the plants reproduce. The more they eat, the more theyhelp flowers and plants grow.

��

1. What is a flying fox?

2. When does it look for food?

3. What does it like to eat?

4. Does it help flowers grow? How?

5. When does it sleep?



FACTS ABOUT BATS...Listen to the second bat cave segment on the video program to find out more facts

about bats. Fill in the blanks with the number you hear. Check your answers by playingthe tape again.

LEVAR BURTONWow! There are over _______________ different kinds of bats and they don’t all live in

trees. Some prefer attics, old buildings, or the darkness of caves.

NARRATOR: DR. MERLIN TUTTLEBats are creatures of the night and every evening between dusk and dawn these bats

wing their way across _______________ of miles looking for food.Tonight this cloud of bats will consume _______________ pounds of insects. That’s the

equivalent weight of _______________ elephants! Long before man walked this earth, batsfilled the night skies. People used to think bats were birds. But they’re not. Bats aremammals like you and me.

I’m Dr. Merlin Tuttle and I’ve been studying bats for _______________ years. We’reabout to enter Bracken Cave in Texas where more than _______________ bats live in aworld of darkness.

Well, here we are. We’re down deep inside the cave. This is like a big tunnel as long asa football stadium. The ceiling of this cave is over _______________ stories high andeverywhere around me everything is covered by _______________ and _______________ ofbats.

This is a very unique environment because the droppings from all those bats turn intoammonia and that’s why I’ve got this respirator on. I would die down here withoutprotection from the ammonia fumes. But the bats are amazing animals. They live withoutany problem down here despite all the ammonia.

Let’s go on down and have a look deeper in the cave. Because so many bats live inhere and their bodies are all giving off heat, it’s extremely hot, sometimes more than_______________ degrees. Most bats, like the free-tailed bats in this cave, eat insects.Let’s take a look at some bats close up. Here’s a mother bat. She has fur just like dogs

and cats and other animals. It’s very soft and velvety. Bats are the only kind of mammalthat flies. She has long narrow wings that enable her to fly very fast at night. Her wingsare just like a hand. This is her thumb. It has a little claw to help her climb around. Andthen she has _______________ more fingers just like we do. She can come flying up to aninsect at night, curl those bones around and grab an insect right in that little webbing inthe end of the wing in order to get it to her mouth to eat. See there, just like you use yourfingers.

As you can see, bats really are not dangerous animals. In fact they are among theworld’s most gentle animals. But you should never pick one up like I’m doing becauseany bat that you can catch is more likely than others to be sick and any animal that’s sickcan be dangerous.

Bats like you’ve just seen could soon die out unless people everywhere learn tounderstand them and appreciate them. They’re gentle and graceful. Bats are trulymasters of night flight.



FACTS ABOUT BATS... .ANSWER SHEET

LEVAR BURTONWow! There are over eight hundredeight hundredeight hundredeight hundredeight hundred different kinds of bats and they don’t all live in

trees. Some prefer attics, old buildings, or the darkness of caves.

NARRATOR: DR. MERLIN TUTTLEBats are creatures of the night and every evening between dusk and dawn these bats

wing their way across hundredshundredshundredshundredshundreds of miles looking for food.Tonight this cloud of bats will consume 250,000250,000250,000250,000250,000 pounds of insects. That’s the

equivalent weight of 9393939393 elephants! Long before man walked this earth, bats filled the nightskies. People used to think bats were birds. But they’re not. Bats are mammals like youand me.

I’m Dr. Merlin Tuttle and I’ve been studying bats for twentytwentytwentytwentytwenty years. We’re about to enterBracken Cave in Texas where more than 20 million20 million20 million20 million20 million bats live in a world of darkness.Well, here we are. We’re down deep inside the cave. This is like a big tunnel as long as

a football stadium. The ceiling of this cave is over nineninenineninenine stories high and everywherearound me everything is covered by millionsmillionsmillionsmillionsmillions and millionsmillionsmillionsmillionsmillions of bats.This is a very unique environment because the droppings from all those bats turn into

ammonia and that’s why I’ve got this respirator on. I would die down here withoutprotection from the ammonia fumes. But the bats are amazing animals. They live withoutany problem down here despite all the ammonia.

Let’s go on down and have a look deeper in the cave.Because so many bats live in here and their bodies are all giving off heat, it’s extremely

hot, sometimes more than 100100100100100 degrees. Most bats, like the free-tailed bats in this cave,eat insects.

Let’s take a look at some bats close up. Here’s a mother bat. She has fur just like dogsand cats and other animals. It’s very soft and velvety. Bats are the only kind of mammalthat flies. She has long narrow wings that enable her to fly very fast at night. Her wingsare just like a hand. This is her thumb. It has a little claw to help her climb around. Andthen she has fourfourfourfourfour more fingers just like we do. She can come flying up to an insect atnight, curl those bones around and grab an insect right in that little webbing in the end ofthe wing in order to get it to her mouth to eat. See there, just like you use your fingers.

As you can see, bats really are not dangerous animals. In fact they are among theworld’s most gentle animals. But you should never pick one up like I’m doing becauseany bat that you can catch is more likely than others to be sick and any animal that’s sickcan be dangerous.

Bats like you’ve just seen could soon die out unless people everywhere learn tounderstand them and appreciate them. They’re gentle and graceful. Bats are trulymasters of night flight.



1. What is a cave?

2. What kind of animal lives in this cave?

3. Where is this cave?

4. What is a bat?

5. Are bats birds or mammals?

6. Is the cave cold or hot?

7. What are the bats doing in the cave?

8. Is it daytime or nighttime?

9. When do bats fly?

10. Do bats have fur?

11. How do bats sleep?

12. When do bats sleep?

13. Are bats dangerous?

14. Why is it important to learn about bats?



Story MapStory MapStory MapStory MapStory Map

TITLE: _______________________________________________

AUTHOR: ____________________________________________

SETTING: ____________________________________________

CHARACTERS:__________________ __________________

__________________ __________________

__________________ __________________

PROBLEM:

EVENT 1 _____________________________________________

EVENT 2 _____________________________________________

EVENT 3 _____________________________________________

EVENT 4 _____________________________________________

EVENT 5 _____________________________________________

SOLUTION:

MORAL (LESSON): ____________________________________

________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________



Sentence StripsSentence StripsSentence StripsSentence StripsSentence Strips

Three baby birds are in a nest. Stellaluna is in the nest, too, butyou can only see her feet. She fell into the nest headfirst. Thebirds’ names are Pip, Flap and Flitter.

An owl is trying to catch the bats. The baby bat is falling. Shecannot fly yet. She is too little.

Mama Bird is in the nest. She is looking for her babies. They arenot in the nest. They are hanging upside-down on the edge of hernest. They are trying to sleep like bats do. Mama Bird says, “Getback into this nest! You will fall! You have not learned to fly.”

Stellaluna is caught on the branches of a big tree. She is hangingon a twig. She is cold and afraid. She is squeaking, “Mother,where are you?”

It is nighttime. It is dark. There are stars in the sky. Mother Bat iscarrying her baby. She is flying out to look for food.



Mama Bird is holding a big green grasshopper in her mouth.Stellaluna’s mouth is open and her eyes are closed. She doesn’tlike bugs but she is very hungry.

Four small pictures on one page show Stellaluna trying to land on abranch like the birds do. She is embarrassed. She feels silly andclumsy.

The birds are learning to fly. Stellaluna can fly too!

Stellaluna is hanging by her thumbs on a small branch. Bats arecoming near her.

The birds are landing on a branch. Stellaluna cannot land on herfeet.

Two bats are in the picture. One bat is hanging upside down. theother bat is right side up. They are looking at each other.



It is getting dark. The birds are on a branch. Stellaluna is flyingahead. She can see at night, but the birds cannot.

Mother Bird is telling Stellaluna that she must obey the rules of thebirds’ home. “Stop teaching my babies to behave like bats. Theyare not bats. They are birds.” she said. Stellaluna is promising tobehave like a good bird.

Stellaluna is eating a piece of fruit. She is a fruit bat. She likesfruit. Her mother showed her where to find fruit. She doesn’t haveto eat bugs anymore.

Mother Bat is wrapping her wings around her baby. She is happy tofind her baby safe.

Many bats are hanging on one branch. They are telling Stellalunathat bats are supposed to hang upside down.

The birds are meeting Stellaluna’s bat family. There are three birds

and two bats hanging upside down in this picture.



Stellaluna, Flap, Pip and Flitter are in a tree. Stellaluna is hang-ing from a branch above the birds. The birds are sitting on thebranch below her. Stellaluna’s wings are wrapped around herfriends. They are saying that they are different in many waysand alike in other ways. They don’t understand it, but they knowthat they are good friends.

Stellaluna is flying in the dark sky. She can see in the dark.Three other bats are flying with her.

Stellaluna is helping the birds. The birds tried to fly at night.They were going to crash because they could not see at night.

She is lifting them to a tree.



Stellaluna Vocabulary

came (O)can (O)carrycaughtchildchildrenchirped (A)climbed (A)(D)clumsy (O)clutched (A)(S)cold (O)(A)come (O)(A)comingconfused (A)couldcrash (A)(S)crawlycried (A)curious

dark (O)day (O)daybreak (O)decideddeep (O)didn’tdifferent (O)dodown (O)(A)dropped(O)(A)

each (S)eat (A)(D)edgeeekeightembarrassingeyes (D)

aaboutabove (O)ached (S)(A)afraid (S)(A)againagree (O)ahead (O)alike (O)(S)alla mandanotheranxious (S)(A)arearound (A)asasleep (O)(A)atate (A)awake (O)(A)(D)

baby (D)(A)backbat (D)bebearbehavedbelow (S)(O)big (O)bird (D)bluebranch (D)(S)breastbroughtbug (D)butby

fact (S)(O)family (D)far (O)fearfeelfeetfellfeltfinallyfind (O)flewfly (A)foodforforest (D)friendsfromfruit (D)

gasped (A)gathered (A)getgrabbed (A)(S)graceful (O)grasshopper (D)greengripping (A)(S)

hanging (A)(D)have tohear (A)herhereherselfheyhold on (O)(S)homehouse (D)howhowled (A)hunghungry (A)

Iin (O)instant (S)intoit

just

knocking (A)

landlandedlean (A)leapt (A)(S)learnedlet go (O)lifted (A)(O)light (O)likelikedlimb (D)(S)little (O)(S)livedlook (S)(A)loud (O)

mama (S)many (O)(S)maybe (S)m emeetmothermouth (D)much (S)mused (S)must (S)mystery

AbbreviationsAbbreviationsAbbreviationsAbbreviationsAbbreviationsD - DrawA - Act OutO - OppositesS - Synonyms



Stellaluna Vocabulary* pg. 2

near (O)nest (D)never (O)new (O)nextnight (O)(D)nightfall (O)no longerno one (O)notnowhere (O)

obeyon (O)onceoneopened (O)(A)out of sight (S)owl (D)

perchedpromisequickly (O)(S)quite (S)

rays (D)replied (O)(S)rules (S)

* from the edited version of the storyas presented on the video

safe (O)saidsame (O)sawsearch (S)(A)see (D)(A)seensheshoneshowsighed (A)sosoft (O)soonsoundsqueaked (A)startling (S)stayed (O)stillstopped (O)(A)storystrange (S)(O)sultrysupposed toswooped

tangleteachingterriblythattheythenthemtherethingthinkthisthough

thoughtthreethumbs (D)tiny (O)(S)toldtree (D)trembled (A)(S)triedtrytwig (D)(S)

“un-bird-like”untilup (O)(A)uponupsidedown(A)(O)ususeless

voice

waitwarm (O)waswentwerewhatwhenwherewhispered (O)(A)whowhywillwings (D)(A)wishwith (O)without (O)wonderedwouldwrapped (A)wrong (O)

yell (O)(A)youyoung (O)

AbbreviationsAbbreviationsAbbreviationsAbbreviationsAbbreviationsD - DrawA - Act OutO - OppositesS - Synonyms



Additional Vocabulary:

Note: Additional vocabulary words used in the unedited version of the story.

attackawful

babblebreak

clamberedcreaturecrooncrowded

deliciousdisappeardodge

escapeexceptexcitedlyexerciseexplain

flown

grasped

headfirsthiss

limplost

mango

neithernod

peculiarpushed

rescuereturnright side up

settingshouldshriekstruckstuffedsunsurvive

tastethin



Antonyms are words that have opposite meanings. Example: old and

new, big and little. Draw a line to match the antonyms.

night

upside down

right

different

light

sleep

warm

up

soft

near

down

far

day

right side up

dark

same (alike)

cool

wake up

loud

wrong



F R U I T P F W B Q

U E H H R H O I I O

K H L O M P R N R K

B D G A Z C E G D J

A Q J O J O S M E P

B B A T E O T H W V

Y V X P O E R R G C

F R I E N D S V E L

J V B R A N C H D G

H A N G N I G H T E

Word Box

BAT NIGHT HANG BIRD WING

BABY FRIENDS BRANCH FOREST FRUIT



1. A mother bat and her baby ___________ in a forest. (live)

2. The baby bat ___________ lost from her mother. (get)

3. She ___________ into a birds’ nest with three baby birds. (fall)

4. She ___________ the bugs that the Mama Bird brings. (eat)

5. She ___________ to behave like the birds. (try)

6. She ___________ to sleep hanging upside down. (want)

7. She ___________ clumsy. (feel)

8. One day the Mother Bat ___________ her baby and ___________ herhow to behave like a bat. (find, show)

9. Stellaluna __________ very happy and ___________ the birds to meether bat family. (be, bring)

10. The birds __________ to fly at night like the bats. (try)

11. They almost __________ into a tree. (crash)

12. Stellaluna ___________ them and ___________ them to a tree.(grab, lift)

13. Stellaluna and the birds ___________ they were more alike. (wish)

14. Stellaluna and the birds ___________ different but they _________

friends. (be)

Fill in the blank with the correct form of the verb in parenthesis.



Part I. Make contractions with the pair of words below. Use an apostrophe to show that some letters are missing.

1. he is _______________ 2. I have _______________

3. are not _______________ 4. is not _______________

5. she is _______________

Part II. Circle the contractions in the sentences. Write the two words that make up the contraction.

1. The birds can’t see at night.The birds ________ ________ see at night.

2. We’re going to crash!________ ________ going to crash!

3. “I’m just like them,” thought Stellaluna.“________ ________ just like them.”

4. I’ll show you where to find fruit.________ ________ show you where to find fruit.

5. “You’re safe,” she said.“________ ________ safe,” she said.

6. That’s a fact.________ ________ a fact.

7. But it’s nighttime!But ________ ________ nighttime!



Mama Bird says to Stellaluna, “You must promise to obey the rules of this

house.” What are some of the rules of the bird family? Use the words “must”

and “must not” to finish this list. Write your answers in complete sentences.

1. You must stay in the nest.

2. You must not hang by your feet from the edge of the nest.

3.

4.

What are some of the rules of your house? Make a list. Share your list with

the class.

1.

2.

3.

4.

What are some of the rules of your school? Make a list. Share your list with

the class.

1.

2.

3.

4.



Listen and repeat as your teacher says the words in the word box:

Word Box

night light right flightfight delighted frighten tightbright might sight highsigh

Now go back to the word box and circle the “igh” in each word.

Next, read these sentences. Underline the words with “igh”.

1. Stellaluna hung out of sight below the birds’ nest. The birds could not see her hanging there.

2. Every night the Mother Bat went out to look for food. Bats fly at night.

3. Stellaluna sighed. She took a deep breath. She was sad and tired.

3. Bats fly high in the sky.

4. It might rain tonight. Maybe it will rain tonight.

5. Turn on the light, so I can see. Birds fly in the daytime when there is light.

6. The sun gives bright light.

7. These shoes are too small for me. They are tight on my feet.

8. Dr. Tuttle says that bats are “masters of night flight.” They fly very well at night.

9. What a beautiful sight! I see something beautiful.

10. Stellaluna’s mother was delighted to find her baby. She was very happy.

11. Frightened means scared or afraid. The baby bat was frightened when the owl attacked her mother.

12. Put your right hand on your heart when you say the pledge of allegiance to the flag.



Listen to LeVar Burton talk about sleep. Fill in the blanks with the words that hesays:

One thing everyone on earth does is sleep. Our bodies need to rest and we

get rest by sleeping. First we find just the _______________ position. Each

of us has our own favorite. But we don’t stay there all _______________.

We move around even though we’re not aware of it. Some of us are quiet

sleepers. Others are noisy. (snoring) A couple of times a _______________

the TV in our heads clicks on and we start to dream. Sometimes we like what

we dream and sometimes we don’t. We know when to wake up because our

bodies are like clocks and in the morning when the _______________

streams in, we’ve had enough sleep. We’re ready to start the day.



Using the word boxes, fill in the blanks under each picutre. Circle the pic-

tures that have the same ending sound. Put an “X” on the one that has a dif-

ferent ending sound. Write the word under the picture.

Word Box

food friend bat bed bird

__________ __________ __________ __________ __________

Word Box

feet bug fruit cat rat

__________ __________ __________ __________ __________



Do you want to know more about bats? Do you have questions? You can

write to Dr. Merlin Tuttle at his office in Texas.

Use this letter form to help you get started:

(your address)_________________________

_________________________

(today’s date)_________________________

Dr. Merlin Tuttle

Bat Conservation International

P.O. Box 162603

Austin, Texas 78716

Dear Mr. Tuttle:

______________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________

_______________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________

________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________

Sincerely,

________________________

(your name)



• Put your finished letter in an envelope.• Write your name and address in the upper (top) left-hand corner.• Write Dr. Tuttle’s name and address in the middle of the envelope.• Don’t forget to put a stamp in the upper (top) right-hand corner.• Take your letter to the post office or put it in any U.S. Postal Service box.

Your envelope should look like this:

Your name StampYour address

Dr. Merlin TuttleBat Conservation InternationalP.O. Box 162603Austin, TX 78716



Listen to your teacher read from the last page of Stellaluna (or listen to the end of thevideo reading of the story). Write what you hear:

“____________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________

_________________ ____________ ____________ ____________ ____________

____________ ____________?” mused Flitter.

“_________ ____________ ____________ ______ ____________ _______

_____________________ ________ __________ ________ _____________

__________________?” wondered Pip.

“___________ ___________________ ____________ _________ _____________________

___________________,” Flap chirped.

“_________ _________________,” said Stellaluna. “____________ _______________

_______________________. ______________ __________________ ________________.”

Check your work with the last page in the book or the captions on the tape. Did you spellall the words correctly?

Stellaluna and the birds are friends. They are different in many ways. They are the samein many ways.

How about you? Do you have a good friend? How are you the same? How are you dif-ferent? Write a paragraph about your friend.



LeVar says:“Well, nighttime may be the right time for bats to start their day, but

not me. I’m tired. Now, before I go to bed there are certain things I liketo do:

I wash my face.I brush my teeth.I pour myself a glass of water.I turn down the covers and fluff the pillow.

And I don’t seem to get the best night’s sleep unless I do them in theexact same order every night.”

Questions:1. What does LeVar do first when he is getting ready for bed?




Watch and listen to the children who tell what they do to get ready forbed. What are some of the things that they do?

1.

2.

3.

How about you? What do you do to get ready for bed? Tell your partner.



In a warm and sultry forest, there once lived a mother fruit bat and her newbaby, Stellaluna. Each night, Mother Bat would carry Stellaluna clutched to her breast as sheflew out to search for fruit to eat. One night an owl swooped down upon the bats, knocking Stellaluna into theair. Her baby wings were useless and down she went into the forest below.The dark tangle of the branches caught Stellaluna. She wrapped her wingsabout her, clutched a twig with her feet, and trembled with cold and fear.“Mother,” Stellaluna squeaked, “Where are you?”

By daybreak, the baby bat could hold on no longer and down she droppedagain. Flump! Stellaluna landed in a nest, startling the three baby birds wholived there. Stellaluna quickly hung out of sight below the nest. “What was that? Here comes Mama with food.” Stellaluna was terribly hun-gry — but not for the crawly things Mama Bird brought.

Finally, though, the little bat could bear it no longer, she climbed into thenest and opened her mouth. Plop! In dropped a big green grasshopper! Ugh!Stellaluna learned to be like the birds. She stayed awake all day, slept all night,and ate bugs, but she still liked to sleep hanging by her feet. Once the curiousbirds decided to try it and when Mama Bird came home she saw eight tiny feetgripping the edge of the nest. “Eek!” she cried. “Get back up here this in-stant!” Mama Bird stopped Stellaluna. “You are teaching my children to dounbird-like things. You must promise to obey the rules of this house.”Stellaluna promised.

Soon it was time to learn to fly. I’m just like them, thought Stellaluna. I canfly, too. The birds landed gracefully on a branch. Stellaluna tried to do thesame. Poomp! How embarrassing!I will fly all day, Stellaluna told herself. Then no one will see how clumsy I am.

The next day, Stellaluna flew far ahead and was nowhere to be seen at night-fall. The three anxious birds went home without her. Stellaluna flew until herwings ached. She hung by her thumbs and soon fell asleep. She didn’t hearthe soft sound of wings coming near.



“Hey!” a loud voice said. “Why are you hanging upside down? You’re abat. You’re supposed to hang by your feet.” Stellaluna was confused.“Mama Bird told me I was wrong.” “Wrong? Wrong for a bird, maybe, butnot for a bat.”

Many bats gathered around to see the strange young bat who behaved likea bird. Stellaluna told them her story. “You ate b-bugs?” stuttered one. “Youslept at night?” gasped another.

“Wait! Let me look at this child.” Sniffing Stellaluna’s fur, she whispered,“You are Stellaluna. You are my baby. Come with me and I’ll show youwhere to find fruit. You’ll never have to eat another bug as long as you live.””But we can’t see at night.” “Yes, we can.” said the Mother Bat. “We’rebats.” Stellaluna was afraid, but she let go of the tree and dropped into thedeep blue sky. She could see. She felt as though rays of light shone from hereyes.

The next day Stellaluna brought the birds to meet her bat family. Whennight came, Stellaluna said, “Come fly with us.” They all leaped from thetree. “I can’t see a thing!” yelled Pip. “We’re going to crash!” howled Flit-ter.

Stellaluna grabbed her friends in the air and lifted them to a tree. She hungfrom a limb above them. “You’re safe,” she said and then sighed. “I wishyou could see in the dark.” “We wish you could land on your feet,” the birdsreplied.

They perched in silence for a long time. “How can we be so different andfeel so much alike?” mused Flitter. “And how can we feel so different and beso much alike?” wondered Pip.“I think this is quite a mystery,” Flap chirped. “I agree,” said Stellaluna.“But we’re friends. And that’s a fact.”



BIBLIOGRAPHYBIBLIOGRAPHYBIBLIOGRAPHYBIBLIOGRAPHYBIBLIOGRAPHY

BATS, NIGHT FLIERS -BATS, NIGHT FLIERS -BATS, NIGHT FLIERS -BATS, NIGHT FLIERS -BATS, NIGHT FLIERS - Betty Maestro

DISCOVERING BATS - DISCOVERING BATS - DISCOVERING BATS - DISCOVERING BATS - DISCOVERING BATS - Jane Mulleneux

A FIRST LOOK AT BATS - A FIRST LOOK AT BATS - A FIRST LOOK AT BATS - A FIRST LOOK AT BATS - A FIRST LOOK AT BATS - Millicent Selsam and Joyce Hunt

BATS - BATS - BATS - BATS - BATS - Sylvia Johnson

ANIMALS OF THE NIGHT - ANIMALS OF THE NIGHT - ANIMALS OF THE NIGHT - ANIMALS OF THE NIGHT - ANIMALS OF THE NIGHT - Merry Banks

Feature BookFeature BookFeature BookFeature BookFeature Book

STELLALUNAby Janell Cannon

Review BooksReview BooksReview BooksReview BooksReview Books

AMAZING BATSby Fran Greenway

SLEEP IS FOR EVERYONEby Paul Showers

STEP INTO THE NIGHTby Joanne Ryder

acknowledgements - destination education, incshopgpn.com/guides/rr/ell/126_0108ell.pdfers in using...

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